Lake County sees record number of households utilize HEAP this summer

It was a record setting summer in terms of the number of low-income households receiving emergency utility assistance and cooling in Lake County through the HEAP Summer Crisis Program.

Lake County's Community Action Agency Lifeline Inc. is the organization that administers the Home Energy Assistance Program's Summer Crisis Program in the county.

The federally funded program is designed to help eligible low-income Ohio residents meet the costs of home cooling.

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The program provides assistance to income-eligible Lake County households with a member 60 years old or older; households that can provide physician documentation that cooling assistance is needed for a household member's health; or households with a disconnection notice on their electricity.

These households are eligible for electric bill payment assistance up to $250 and/or an air conditioner.

Throughout the three months of the Summer Crisis Season that concluded Aug. 31, Lifeline's staff completed applications for more than 1,200 households from nearly every community in Lake County for emergency assistance.

Of those 1,200 applications, more than 1,000 of them were either approved for assistance with their electric bill or received an air conditioner. More than $145,000 in federal dollars were spent.

During the 2011 HEAP Summer Crisis Program, which operated July and August 2011, around 500 applications were taken, with about 480 approved and $53,000 was expended during those two months.

"We could definitely tell that it was a busier season than usual and that a lot more of our Lake County residents needed a little extra help this summer," said Carrie Dotson, Lifeline's executive director.

Dotson said a hot summer likely made it difficult for many households that have low incomes and/or health issues. Many people had never applied for the assistance before.

"This program really isn't just about providing comfort, it's about keeping people healthy," she said. "One of the requirements to qualify for the (Summer Crisis Program) is that applicants must either have a senior citizen in the home, have a physician-documented health condition or be facing electricity disconnection.

"These are people who clearly need their utilities on and to keep cool during the hottest months of the year."

For more information on the HEAP Program, contact Lifeline, Inc.'s Energy Assistance Office at 440-350-9160. Lifeline's Energy Assistance Office is located at 54 S. State St., Suite 303, in Painesville.